Recommendation for higher end system

[Wardsweb]

What would you recommend for superior play back of 1/4" 2 track going into a high end system? Something like the Studer 820, Nagra T, Ampex ATR 100, etc.

 

[mep]

Mike should chime in here because he currently owns both a Studer A-820 and an Ampex ATR-102. I believe Mike is possibly looking to sell his ATR-102 if I read one his current posts correctly. I don't think you can go wrong with a Studer A-80 or A-820.

 

[Steve Williams]

or even an A810

 

[Bruce B]

My suggestion would be an A80RC with outboard pre. No use paying the stupid prices for a 820. They're not worth it.
An ATR has its own sound which most people don't like on all genre's of music

 

[rockitman]

What would you recommend for superior play back of 1/4" 2 track going into a high end system? Something like the Studer 820, Nagra T, Ampex ATR 100, etc.

A studer a80 rc or 820 into a doshi tape Pre or one of Greg Beron's top of the line UHA phase decks will probably give you the best playback. I am comsidering going one way or the other. Greg's one box solution is very attractive in addition to the fact that parts are still readily available from the mfgr.

 

[Wardsweb]

Thanks for the info guys. Doing some research to help a friend looking to get a deck for his system. Path would be reel to reel--> Absolare preamp --> VTL Siegfried amps --> Rockport Arakis speakers. He liked my BR-20 in my system and I took a Revox C270 to his house and we listened to some Tape Project tapes. The vocals on Mose Allison Creek Bank were stunning.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

What would you recommend for superior play back of 1/4" 2 track going into a high end system? Something like the Studer 820, Nagra T, Ampex ATR 100, etc.

for my money, if you are talking about top level tape playback there are 3 superior transports which have sounded the best to me, and overall have the most favorable reputations.

-Studer A-820

-Ampex ATR-102

-Studer A-80

if you listen to these 'stock' then the performance is likely in the inverse order above, as transports they are in order of my preference based on my experience. as Bruce mentions; the A-80 is the most reasonably priced and likely best sounding. i did own a pristene Nagra T which is a beautiful machine; but stock it sounded like crap....and good luck finding someone to repair it if it has issues. those others can be fixed reasonably, the A-80 and ATR are relatively easy to get fixed, the A-820 a little less so.

my personal preference is to use any these of as transports with custom output electronics.

i've heard all the good ones; and so far to my ears i prefer the King-Cello. but; custom tape electronics are so 'context' dependant that my preference is of little practical value outside of my own system.

you are much better off finding one of these decks already in known good condition, rather than any sort of reclaimation project....unless you already are a rocket scientist.

 

[mep]

Mike-Did you ever get your Ampex 350s back?

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Mike-Did you ever get your Ampex 350s back?

hummmm. been waiting for someone to ask me about that.

i've been 'culling' the herd. after all my recent acquisitions, anything i don't need is going away.

hence my ATR-102 is sold (but not yet gone), and i'm 'collecting' my Ampex 350-2 and my 2 Ampex 351 mic pre's from Dave Distenfass where they were going to be 'gone-thru', and then using the value of them to fund repair of my 1/2" A-820 which had some shipping damage to the 3 motors when i shipped them off to be rebuilt. it's a long and sad story. at this point i'm not sure what exactly is wrong. someone way smarter than me will fix it.

my goal is to 'slum it' only having my twin 1/4" and 1/2' A-820's and the King-Cello and nothing else tape deck wise.

no wonderful Ampex tubes for me. ....part of the price of new amps and speakers.

somehow i'll muddle thru.

 

[microstrip]

(...) As Bruce mentions; the A-80 is the most reasonably priced and likely best sounding. (...)
you are much better off finding one of these decks already in known good condition, rather than any sort of reclaimation project....unless you already are a rocket scientist.

One important aspect is that in the long term the A-80 is the easiest and cheapest to maintain and service - as long as you can find TTL circuits and bearings it can be kept working forever. Even the motors are still easily available. BTW, I am not a rocket scientist, but I have a good advisor in A-80 matters ...